Trust in Government and Support for Redistribution
In many countries safety nets consist predominantly of universal subsidies on food and fuel. A key question for policy makers willing to shift to targeted safety nets is under what conditions middle-class citizens would be supportive of redistributive programs. Results from a behavioral experiment based on a nationally representative sample in Jordan reveal that increasing transparency in benefit delivery makes middle-class citizens (particularly among the youth and low-trust individuals) more willing to forgo their own welfare to benefit the poor. Moreover, increasing transparency enhances the relative support for cash-based safety nets, which have greater impact on poverty compared with in-kind transfers, but may be perceived as more prone to elite capture.
Summary: | In many countries safety nets consist
predominantly of universal subsidies on food and fuel. A key
question for policy makers willing to shift to targeted
safety nets is under what conditions middle-class citizens
would be supportive of redistributive programs. Results from
a behavioral experiment based on a nationally representative
sample in Jordan reveal that increasing transparency in
benefit delivery makes middle-class citizens (particularly
among the youth and low-trust individuals) more willing to
forgo their own welfare to benefit the poor. Moreover,
increasing transparency enhances the relative support for
cash-based safety nets, which have greater impact on poverty
compared with in-kind transfers, but may be perceived as
more prone to elite capture. |
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